Animal-trap.



PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

W. P. TIPPIT.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. 1907.

INVENTOR WITNESSES Af/omeys cm, wAsrnNoTam n. c.

.WILLIAM P. TIPPIT, OF FAYETTE, MISSOURI.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed April 20 1907. $erial No. 369315.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, vVlLLLtu P. Trrrrr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fayette, in the county of Howard and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Animal l rap, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a trap for the cap ture of wild animals,raccoons, mink, opossum and all small fur bearing animals. Although thetrap is intended primarily for the purposenoted it may also be used fordomestic purposes in capturing aml killing rats and mice.

The main object of the invention is to provide a trap that will lie flaton the ground or lean against the bank, in either position, hiding fromView of the intended prey all mechanism.

A further object is to produce a trap that will not be affected by coldand exposure to storms which tend to cause other traps to becomeinoperative by ice and snow interfering with their operation.

Further objects of the invention not herein recited will be describedmore in detail here inafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trapplaced flat on the ground and set for the capture of an animal. Fig. 2is a bottom plan. view of the trap shown set in full lines and trippedin dotted lines.

Similar numerals indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures.

The body or base of the trap consists of a board 1 of suitable lengthand width and heavy enough to prevent its being carried off by a trappedanimal. Through the board near one end is a hole 2 for the passage .ofan animals head in his desire to get at the bait on the other side ofthe trap. Fastened to one side of the base board which in the operationof the trap is the under side, and transversely thereof on the edge ofthe opening 2 in a bar 3 provided with grooves 4 preferably on the sidenext the base board and forming with said base board channels throughwhich the side arms 5 of the strangulating loop 6 pass. 7

At the end of the base board farthest from the opening 2, is fastened abracket 7 the outstandin arm 8 of which is perforated 'for a threadedbolt 9 to pass loosely therethrough, the bolt being retained in theperforation by a nut 10. The eye 11 of the bolt is fastened to one endof a coiled spring 12, the side arms of the strangulating loop 6 beingattached to the other end of said spring. On turning the nut 10 thespring is tensioned by the movement of the bolt 9 as I is wellunderstood.

Fastened to the base board 1 a short distance away from the opening 2and on the side opposite the cross bar 3 is a transverse pivot pin 13 onwhich is fulcrumed the trigger mechanism 14 preferably formed of wire,and comprising the coil 15 pivoted on the pin 13, from one side of whichcoil an arm 16 projects towards the opening 2, lying close to the baseboard 1, and having its end turned outwardly to engage the strangulationloop when the trap is set To keep the strangulating loop close againstthe base board a groove 18 is made in said board for the catch 16. Atthe other end of the coil 15 the bait carrying arm 19 projects at anangle to and away from the base board but towards the opening 2 in theaxis of which said arm terminates in a hook 20 or other means forholding bait.

For the purpose of easily and safely setting the trap, the bent wire 21is attached by its ends to the strangulating loop 6 and passes aroundthe trigger mechanism 1 1 as clearly represented in Fig. 2.

The operationv of the trap will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription, it being su'llicient to say that by pulling on the settingwire 21 to tension the spring 12, the strangulating coil will be broughtover the catch 16 and caught behind its outwardly turned end 17, only tobe released by an animal attempting to get the bait. The trap is placedin position I lat on the ground with the mechanism underneath, a hole ofsufficient size having been previously made for the trigger mechanism 14to operate in, or the trap may lean against a bank after having removedsullicient earth for the proper working of the trigger incrhanism. Thetop or exposed portion of the trap presenting a plain unbroken surfacewith the exception of the hole 2, there is nothing visible to excite thesuspicion of the wariest wild animal and prevent it from seeking thebait by passing its head or foot through the opening 2.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is 1. An animal trapcomprising a base having an opening, a strangulating loolp movableacross said opening longitudinaly of said 22 876,41&

base, an adjustable spring acting on said loop, and a tripping mechanismon the opposite side of said opening from the spring, said trippingmechanismcomprising a pivot pin, an angular lever mounted on said pivotpin, one arm of said lever adapted to hold the strangulating loop whenset while the other arm, inclined to the base board, is provided with abait hook approximately in the aXis of said opening but at anappreciable distance therefrom.

2. An animal trap comprising a base having an opening, a strangulatingloop movable across said opening longitudinally of 'said base, anadjustable spring acting in a straight line on said loop, and a trippingmechanism on the side of said opening opposite said spring comprising apivot pin fixed to the bottom of the base board, a coil of wire with twoprojecting arms ivoted on said pin, one of said arms lying c ose to saidbase board and provided with a catch for holding the strangulating loop,and the other arm eX- tending away from said pivot pin at an angle tothe base board and provided with a bait holder approximately in the aXisof the openmg In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto a'l'lixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM P. TIPPIT. Witnesses:

N. F. FRAZIER, GEO. Di GIBSON.

